The recently-appointed head of PCB’s cricket committee, Mohsin Khan, has suggested Sarfraz Ahmed to relinquish Test captaincy in a bid to focus on other formats of the game.

"I have said it before and I will say it now too," Mohsin said while speaking to a local news channel in Pakistan. "With Sarfraz I was saying you got a new guy in, don't put the burden of three formats on him. It will take such a physical load on him, T20s, ODIs and then Tests if he is captain he will not get any mental relaxation.

"I had said make him T20 and ODI captain and in Tests, put in a senior player for a year, year-and-a-half which will give him [Sarfraz] time, allow him to relax and groom himself as a leader, to get some confidence."

Mohsin seemed to put down Pakistan’s below par performance at the Asia Cup to the burden of captaincy in every format.

"Sarfraz's body language was so down. I felt sorry for him that he's had so much pressure put on him, with T20s, ODIs and Tests. There's no doubt he is so talented and it's not as if he is 35-36. He is young, he has a lot of time. That was my view before and it is now as well."

Mohsin made it clear that he does not have the power to appoint or remove anyone. The committee will only be making a recommendation to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani.

"Yes, absolutely," he said. "I have spoken to Ehsan Mani; the final decision will of course be his but I will give him the suggestion. Whatever suggestions I give; it will not be out of personal interest. I will only suggest those things that will help make Pakistan better on or off the field.

"This New Zealand series, it has Tests, ODIs and T20s, it will give us a better picture of how much mentally stronger Sarfraz has become. I will repeat - I only say this because he is still young and he doesn't need this much pressure on him. He needs some relief time because wicketkeeping itself is such a difficult job."

Pakistan will face New Zealand in the first T20I in Abu Dhabi later tonight.